Solana: EU Needs UN Mandate to Engage in Peacekeeping Operations in Georgia

Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said at a news briefing today after the meeting with Georgian Interim President Nino Burjanadze that EU could consider sending peacekeepers to Georgia, if certain conditions were met. 

“In order to have peacekeeping operation by the European Union we need a mandate by the United Nations. So the resolution of the Security Council will be necessary . We are willing to do that if these conditions are met,” Javier Solana said.

Political analysts in Georgia cast doubts over the European peacekeepers involvement in the Georgian conflict zones, as they think Russia, which has its peacekeepers deployed in Abkhazia under CIS aegis since 1994, will veto the proposal at the UN Security Council.